


Catch of Conscience

by ioanite



Category: Hamlet - Shakespeare
Genre: Gen, Grief/Mourning, Iambic Pentameter, Yuletide Treat, discussion of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21946081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ioanite/pseuds/ioanite
Summary: A hypothetical epilogue to the play. After everything Horatio witnessed, he was bound to be a bit shaken up...
Comments: 19
Kudos: 24
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Catch of Conscience

**Author's Note:**

  * For [water_bby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/gifts).



> The prompt that inspired this; "Tell me more about Horatio -- perhaps what was he like as a student, or what he thought about what Hamlet was doing, or how he deals with Fortinbras being the new ruler of Denmark." I'd like to say that last bit made the fic write itself, but while I knew what I wanted to do pretty quickly, trying to get everything to fit the rules of Iambic Pentameter took some doing. I think it was worth it in the end, though.
> 
> Happy Yuletide, water_bby!

_(Enter FORTINBRAS.)_

FORTINBRAS: How come’st it, Fate, that just one month has passed

Since Denmark’s crown was laid upon my head?

At times, it feels as though I’ve borne its weight

For many a year, as I attempt to mend

The damage left by this land’s former king.

And yet, I still awake upon the morn

And must reflect a moment where I am.

Unused to these bedchambers, or these walls

I do not feel as though they’re truly mine.

I think, perhaps, adjustment’s slow to come

Due to the way I came to take the crown.

I did not gain it due to ties of blood

Nor earned it by a noble battle fought.

Instead, it comes to me amidst a wave

Of death, deceit, and shifting loyalties

Mixed with a bit of madness and with grief

Along with tales of vengeful, wand’ring ghosts.

This I can scarce believe, and yet the one

Who tells me of the sad events that passed

Is one whose words I trust. And furthermore

His pale countenance and shaken voice

Seem too heartfelt to be a twisted ruse.

This man has witnessed things that few should see

And he was forced to bear them all at once!

When I think of the tale that I was told

My soul becomes like ice. Imagine then

What seeing these events with one’s own eyes

Could have upon a man, espec’ally one

Who called Prince Hamlet friend. No doubt such pain

Would cause him to withdraw from life at court

And find solace in keeping to himself.

Indeed, I hear from courtier and guard

That Horatio spends most of his days

Within his rooms, or, if he feels fit

Within the library, reading from books.

At night, he takes a watch, despite the fact

That I did not request this deed from him.

And when he is convinced to stay within

And urged to rest by those who also know

Of what he has endured, he does as bid

But does not get the rest that he deserves.

Reports have come of rustling, and of words

Too low to understand, but clear enough

That all who hear them know that this young man

Suffers from frightful dreams and painful thoughts.

Although I fear that I can be no help,

I wish to offer solace in some form.

Thus have I asked him to attend to me

Sometime before the clock strikes noon today.

_(A knock.)_

Ah-ha! I’m sure that is Horatio.

He comes when asked; indeed, two hours to spare!

Come in, I pray!

_(A servant enters.)_

SERVANT: Pardon, King Fortinbras

But Horatio asks an audience.

Will you receive him now?

FORTINBRAS: O yes, at once!

_(The servant nods and exits. Enter HORATIO.)_

HORATIO: You wished to see me, sire?

FORTINBRAS: I did indeed.

Sit down, I pray, and don’t look so distraught;

I did not call you here for a rebuke.

_(Horatio sits.)_

I summoned you because I wish to show

My gratitude for all that you have done.

It was your words that secured me this crown

And in the first few weeks, you were the one

Who helped the people accept me as king.

Such loyalty should not go unremarked.

And thus I ask if there is some desire

I could fulfill for you as recompense.

A position at court, titles or lands

All of these are within my power to give.

Say but a word, and I will have it done.

HORATIO: You do me great honor, King Fortinbras,

And I am honored by your gen’rous bent.

Alas, I cannot think of any boon

That you could grant that would give me much joy.

I do not have much taste for life at court

Particularly in light of past events,

And I am not a man meant to be left

In charge of lands or men; I fear that I

Would drive it all to ruin if I tried.

Perhaps in time I will devise a wish

That you can grant to me. Meantime, there is

Nothing you have that I truly desire.

FORTINBRAS: Your honesty astounds me, gentle sir

For few indeed would know themselves to be

Unfit to rule, and thus turn down the chance

When offered up freely. May you remain

As clear of mind and heart as you are now

And inspire more to follow in your stead.

Nevertheless, although I can defer

Bestowal of a boon until you have

Found something worthy of the debt I owe,

I wish to aid you in the here and now.

Although I tend to the affairs of state

And spend most of my days in that pursuit,

I have observed, and others have as well,

That melancholy has you in its grip.

Of course, ‘tis no surprise, given the acts

That you bore witness to, although you played

No role yourself in bringing them to pass.

If you desire some aid in your attempts

To put these mem’ries firmly in the past

I will, again, use all my powers as king

To offer aid in any way I can.

Should you decide to leave Denmark entire

Be it a mere respite or permanent,

I will provide you passage, and what’s more

A letter to your chosen country’s king

So that you may find easy shelter there.

I can as well give over gold to you

To help you live until you have settled.

Or if, perhaps, you wish to take your leave

Of Elsinore and settle in a town

Where few have heard of what transpired here

And thus escape the ghosts that haunt your dreams,

I can offer a horse, as well as gold

And have my men scout for a proper place.

Is this boon better suited to your needs?

HORATIO: Thank you, kind Fortinbras; by these offers

You prove yourself a good and noble king

And worthy of Prince Hamlet’s dying vote.

FORTINBRAS: Gentle, good man. Your shaking voice betrays

How deeply Hamlet’s death still stings your heart.

Allow me to amend my boon again—

If you desire a sympathetic ear

As you recall the memories once more

Not to explain in clinical detail

But to, perhaps, allow your demons rest

I will keep my silence, and let you speak.

HORATIO: My King, I cannot ask you to subject

Yourself to my maudlin recollections.

Time could be better spent…

FORTINBRAS: No more of that.

Should you prefer to keep your thoughts private

I will not pry into them further. But

I believe there’s poison in your soul

That will in time devour you inside

Unless it has a chance to be released.

As doctors encourage bloodletting to

Restore the humours and bring balance back,

Speaking of the events may cause the loss

To ache a little less when thought upon.

And if this grants you peace and dreamless nights,

I think this is the wisest course to take.

_(A brief pause. Then Horatio puts his face in his hands.)_

HORATIO: So much occurred within a scant few months,

At times I feel it happened all at once.

Seeing the ghost set us upon that path

Whose every twist and turn brought us to death.

And it was I who thought it would be wise

To tell Prince Hamlet of his father’s shade.

Perhaps if I had not, then things would have

Taken a different course, one that allowed

The innocent to stay alive and whole.

I do not mean that Claudius should have

Been allowed to escape his punishment,

Far from it; but mayhap the truth could have

Been found some other way, perhaps by dream

Or by seeing the ghost all on his own.

Perhaps Hamlet would not have felt compelled

To act as though grief had destroyed his sense

Leading Ophelia to follow suit,

And, too, for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

To visit their old friend, only to die.

Polonius, Laertes, and the Queen

May all in turn have lived, had I only

Kept my silence, or waited to inform

Hamlet of the spirit that I had seen.

Or yet another path; what if I had

Broken my oath of silence, and spoken

To someone who could have provided aid

And helped reveal the truth to the whole court?

Although I would have betrayed a friend’s trust,

‘Tis possible it would not have ended

With bloodshed of the pure or ignorant.

Would that outcome have been worth the steep price

Of losing a friendship? I think it might.

These thoughts plague me at night, and should I dream

The events of this year play out again

Except with offerings of minor change.

Here is Ophelia, water streaming

From her diaph’nous gown, asking me why

I did not beg Hamlet to inform her

Of all our goings-on. And here, I see

Another rapier duel, but now Hamlet

Fights with Claudius to regain honor

After accusing him of murder cruel.

It once again ends with both fighters dead,

But poisoned drinks or points were not employed

And fewer men lie dead. Or, worst of all,

I dream of a world where all ended well,

Where Claudius was punished for his crime,

Where Hamlet took the throne with no protest

And took Ophelia to be his bride.

The Queen retires, with regret and hope,

To a convent to make peace with herself;

Polonius may lose his place in court,

But still remains due to the marriage bond

Dispensing his advice, for good or ill;

Laertes stays abroad, but stays a friend;

And Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear

From time to time to pay the King respects.

When this dream visits me, it fools entire

And I believe it to be wholly true.

Then I awake, and the truth strikes me cold

Like water freshly drawn from a deep well.

The lie comforts, but ends up ripped away

And makes the truth cut my soul twice as deep.

_(He looks at Fortinbras)_

Though I was tempted to follow Hamlet

In the moment when so many had died,

He begged me to remain, so I could tell

The world of what had truly happened here

And to ensure that a more suited man

Would take the throne and set Denmark aright.

Since then, I have regained a bit of sense

And know taking my own life damns my soul.

Yet I am filled with shame, which bears four thorns

That take their chance to prick at me in turn.

First I regret I e’er had the thought;

Then I disgust myself by still, at times,

Wishing I could bring myself to the act;

Then shame denounces shame, for going back

And not remaining firm to old beliefs;

At last, I wonder why of all those who

Played any vital role within this farce

I am the only one who stands alive.

Do I honor their memory, or does my

Continued life pay mockery to their death?

Has this whole affair cursed our fair Denmark,

Not to be lifted until all involved

Have breathed their last? I cannot know, of course,

But after all that has transpired here

I cannot truly rule that option out.

What am I meant to do, King Fortinbras?

Remain, or leave? Endure, or fall to ruin?

_(A beat of silence. Then;)_

FORTINBRAS: You have endured this long, and I believe

You will endure for many years to come.

Your loss was large and deep, and any who

Had lived through such a thing would feel the same.

Time alone can allow the wounds to scar

But distance from a place of tragedy

Can hurry things along. I therefore say

That you should leave Denmark for kinder shores

Accompanied by men who you can trust

But had no ties to these fatal events.

Go where your fancy strikes, and stay abroad

Until you have a week of dreamless sleep

Or can think back on home and feel grief

But not a grief that nearly breaks your heart.

Perhaps it will take months or even years

But that is better than remaining here.

To stay within this place will tear you down

Piece by uneven piece, until at last

There’s nothing left of you but your body

Haunting this castle while your soul remains

Pinned down by loss, unable to escape

The memories of what once used to be.

I will not order you to this new course;

I merely offer what advice seems best.

_(Horatio looks at Fortinbras, then down at his hands. At last, he gets to his feet.)_

HORATIO: Your words are wise, o noble Fortinbras,

And I would be a fool not to heed them.

I will return to my chambers at once

And gather up my things for a journey.

Mayhap I may return this evening

To speak of which men I should take along

And which routes would be best for me to take?

_(Fortinbras rises as well.)_

FORTINBRAS: There is no need to ask, Horatio.

As I pronounced the cure, ‘tis only right

I administer it as best I can.

I will prepare letters and gold as well

To assist your travels, as I promised.

All I ask in return is a letter

Be sent to Elsinore from time to time

So I know how you fare. And should you choose

To make your home in some far off country,

Tell me of this as well. For while you may

Not wish to have a place within my court,

I have been grateful for your soft counsel

And feel I would be a much better king

If you were there to steer me ‘round the shoals.

HORATIO: I will think upon this, King Fortinbras,

And reply when the storm within is calmed.

For now, all I can do is offer thanks;

You offer gifts I never can repay.

FORTINBRAS: You helped me gain the throne, and I, your peace

I do believe the scales have balanced out.

Now pray, return to your rooms to prepare

And keep the goal of healing in your heart.

We don’t know what the future holds in store,

But we will drive these ghosts from Elsinore.

_(All Exit.)_


End file.
